Ah, a cool river on a warm holiday! In my opinion, the wide, shallow rivers are one of the best things about living in TX!





There's really not too much to say about the day, because we're just taking it as easy as possible! We haven't forgotten, though, that today is about remembering all those, especially in our own families, who have made it possible to have such a wonderful, carefree day together. Happy Memorial Day!

Guess who could wait to try on Joseph's graduation hat a little later today? I think Joseph is too interested in coloring and writing to care one way or the other!

Here we are at Joseph's Joy School graduation today! We started off with a short review of all the topics covered this last year...

"Thank You Super Teacher Awards" stuck on all the moms by their kids...

showing off family pictures by each child...



some performances of favorite songs by the students...



and finally each child got a graduation hat, report card, and certificate. Joseph worked so hard to participate in Joy School this last year and he deserves to be proud!

When it was time to pose for pictures, Joseph couldn't seem to find his report card and certificate. It turns out Guyene had them!

Don't they look cute all lined up together? When Joseph saw Caleb in a shirt in tie, he told Tim that he had selected his shirt and shorts to look fancy, too. In truth, I think they are his favorite clothes!

Last but not least, it's time for cake!

Joseph got a really big piece, so I asked if he would like to share with Rosalie. He said yes, and here's how he decided to divvy things up. It looks like I'll need to share with her, too! This graduation has been a great way to celebrate the end of Joy School, and I'm so grateful to all the other moms and kids that made it work this last year!

Our garden sure has grown and changed since we planted it over two months ago now!

The bad news: The lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, peas, and cilantro have all now succumbed to heat, and the growth of the peppers, parsnips, green onions, and leeks has been less than stellar. We'll likely try them all again in the fall. The mesclun was bitter and attracted aphids galore. Thankfully, the aphids, along with the caterpillars, have been fairly easy to fend off, unlike the powdery mildew. We finally had to resort to chemicals to treat it, or we were literally going to lose everything!

Now the good news: The beets, swiss chard, and leaf lettuce have been amazing. Even Tim likes the beets! The sweet onions are pushing out of the ground and their tops are laying down, so I think they're just about ready, along with the carrots and kohlrabi. The squash and melon plants are flowering like crazy, so I guess we ought to get ready for the gourd-family avalanche! We've got a couple of eggplants that grow visibly larger every day, and most importantly...

the tomatoes are starting to turn red! Just as I hoped, the kids love going out to check the garden's progress with me. If only I could find a way to discourage the mosquitoes from hanging around, too!

Daddy helped the kids put a puzzle together this morning, and they sure do look proud!

Just look at those adorable ringlets!

We are so lucky to have my old friend Jenny and her family here for a short visit as they make their way from one coast to another! I haven't seen her since my high-school days, so we definitely have a lot of catching up to do!

Joseph is so excited to meet some new friends! Aren't they adorable all sitting together like that?

After a quick jaunt through the hospital...



and a stroll along the shady downtown streets...

with several unplanned stops along the way...



we finally made it to the Riverwalk, where we'll spend the bulk of our time playing tourist. Just look at those tall cypress trees along the banks!



Later tonight after the kids crashed, it's time for some game time and other random silliness. We sure do love having visitors!

It sure is wonderful having Grandma and Grandpa Allison around! This weekend, Grandma Cindy has been helping Joseph transcribe a few of his stories...

and this afternoon she took care of an exhausted Rosalie while the rest of us went to church. After she woke up from her long nap, Grandma even helped her get all dressed up! We'll sure miss her and Grandpa when they head off tomorrow morning!

Rosalie loves to sing and dance in the car. Here she is on her way home from Eisenhower Park today, at least until she drops her water cup!

Here we are at Eisenhower Park getting ready to go on a hike together this morning!

Joseph came here with Tim while Rosalie and I were camping last weekend, and he's been talking about coming back with me and Grandma and Grandpa ever since.

He's so excited to show us all the plant markers...

the bear grass...

and all the signs for the trails. He knows exactly which route he and Tim took last time, and although some of the paths are a little muddy to follow today, he's enjoying telling us all about them!

Rosalie is also busy pointing and chattering away...

about the flowers...

the butterflies...



and the airplanes she hears zooming over head, even if they do make her feel like she needs a hug until they're gone! Grandpa Steve said the official term for her obviously mixed feelings is "approach-avoidance" conflict. That pretty well sums it up!

We also checked out some curvy tree roots...

bristly thistles...

and vibrating spiders.





It's a beautiful morning for a walk with nature!

We got a lot of rain here in San Antonio today, so we decided to head down to the new bridge over Culebra Creek and check out the flooding. Grandma Cindy got her feet stuck in some mud, but other than that we're all having a great time!

Hooray for another visit from Grandma and Grandpa Allison! Here are Joseph and Grandpa Steve working together on making a collage of family names...

and here's the creative and attractive finished product!

Meanwhile, Rosalie has been wearing this little crown all day, saying things like "my crown" and "pretty girl!" She sure is a cutie!